Objective: Although condom use has improved significantly in the last decade, 42% of sexually active adolescents report that they or their partner did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse. Programs to improve condom use frequently incorporate peer groups as a component of intervention, yet little is known about what types of peer affiliations are helpful for promoting a behavioral change such as condom use. The purpose of this study was to describe the social comparisons, as measured by affiliative preferences, of sexually-active, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adolescents who are either contemplating, initiating, or maintaining effective condom use, and to examine whether these preferences vary with stage of change for condom use and behavioral self-esteem. Design: School-based survey. Sample: 180 sexually active 12th grade students (M = 17.4 years, 52% female, 62% Hispanic). Setting: Classrooms in two public high schools in northern New Mexico. Variables: Independent: Stage of change for condom use, Behavioral self-esteem. Dependent: Affiliative preferences. Measures: Participants completed structured, anonymous questionnaires. Measures included: demographic data, condom use during past year (1 item), behavioral intentions related to condom use (1 item), 4 items from the Behavioral Conduct Sub-scale of the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and affiliative preferences (9 items). The two condom use items were used to categorize three stages of change for effective condom use: (1) Contemplation included adolescents who had never used condoms, but had positive intentions to start using condoms every time in the next year; (2) Preparation included respondents who had some reported use of condoms in the past year and had definite positive intentions to start using condoms every time in the next year; and (3) Maintenance included adolescents who had always used condoms during the past year and reported definite positive intentions to use them in the next year. Affiliative preferences were operationalized by asking participants to imagine that they were going to be in a small discussion group to talk about condom use. Respondents were then asked who they would like to have in the group with them in terms of nine characteristics: gender, ethnicity, age, grades, popularity, looks, amount of sexual experience, numbers of sexual partners, and past condom use. Answer choices for gender and ethnicity items were categorical. For the other seven characteristics, responses were on a five-point Likert-type scale. For example: “In terms of condom use, would you rather have someone in the group who uses condoms when he/she has sexual intercourse (1) much more often than you, (2) somewhat more often than you, (3) same amount as you, (4) somewhat less often than you, or (5) much less often than you. Findings: With few exceptions, respondents preferred to affiliate with others who were similar demographically. Stage of change had a significant main effect on adolescents’ affiliative preferences related to condom use alone [F(2, 168)=8.75, p=.000]. Contemplators wanted to be with peers who used condoms more than they did (upward affiliations), while those in the preparation and maintenance stages wanted to affiliate with those who used condoms essentially the same amount as they did (lateral affiliations). Indeed, those maintaining condom use wanted lateral affiliations three times more than those contemplating use (OR=3.06; 95% CI 1.31-7.16). Stage of change had a significant interaction with behavioral self-esteem in predicting preferred affiliations related to condom use[F(8,161)=6.55, p=.000). Among those in the preparation stage, those with low self-esteem wanted to affiliate with peers who used condoms less than they did (downward affiliations), while those with moderate self-esteem preferred affiliations that were slightly upward. Those with low self-esteem were 34 times more likely than those with moderate self-esteem to prefer downward affiliations (OR=34.00; 95% CI 3.70-312.90). Conclusions: Adolescents’ preferences for affiliation with peers vary according to stage of change and are moderated by behavioral self-esteem. Social comparison theory provides a useful theoretical framework for examining preventive health behaviors. Implications: The results support interventions that group adolescents by stage of change and are targeted for that stage of change. Adolescents who are contemplating condom use should have affiliation with successful condom users. Those who are already successful users may benefit from contact with similar others. Adolescents who have low behavioral self-esteem and are initiating a behavioral change such as condom use are a high-risk group. They require specific, targeted, nursing interventions that simultaneously prevent minimization of their problem behavior, yet facilitate their emotional coping and self-change efforts.

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Language

dc.type

Presentation

en_GB

dc.title

Affiliative Preferences, Self-Change, and Adolescent Condom Use

en_GB

dc.identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10755/149418

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dc.description.abstract

<table><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-title">Affiliative Preferences, Self-Change, and Adolescent Condom Use</td></tr><tr class="item-sponsor"><td class="label">Conference Sponsor:</td><td class="value">Sigma Theta Tau International</td></tr><tr class="item-year"><td class="label">Conference Year:</td><td class="value">2001</td></tr><tr class="item-conference-date"><td class="label">Conference Date:</td><td class="value">November 10 - 14, 2001</td></tr><tr class="item-author"><td class="label">Author:</td><td class="value">Tigges, Beth</td></tr><tr class="item-institute"><td class="label">P.I. Institution Name:</td><td class="value">University of New Mexico</td></tr><tr class="item-email"><td class="label">Email:</td><td class="value">btigges@salud.unm.edu</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-abstract">Objective: Although condom use has improved significantly in the last decade, 42% of sexually active adolescents report that they or their partner did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse. Programs to improve condom use frequently incorporate peer groups as a component of intervention, yet little is known about what types of peer affiliations are helpful for promoting a behavioral change such as condom use. The purpose of this study was to describe the social comparisons, as measured by affiliative preferences, of sexually-active, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adolescents who are either contemplating, initiating, or maintaining effective condom use, and to examine whether these preferences vary with stage of change for condom use and behavioral self-esteem. Design: School-based survey. Sample: 180 sexually active 12th grade students (M = 17.4 years, 52% female, 62% Hispanic). Setting: Classrooms in two public high schools in northern New Mexico. Variables: Independent: Stage of change for condom use, Behavioral self-esteem. Dependent: Affiliative preferences. Measures: Participants completed structured, anonymous questionnaires. Measures included: demographic data, condom use during past year (1 item), behavioral intentions related to condom use (1 item), 4 items from the Behavioral Conduct Sub-scale of the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and affiliative preferences (9 items). The two condom use items were used to categorize three stages of change for effective condom use: (1) Contemplation included adolescents who had never used condoms, but had positive intentions to start using condoms every time in the next year; (2) Preparation included respondents who had some reported use of condoms in the past year and had definite positive intentions to start using condoms every time in the next year; and (3) Maintenance included adolescents who had always used condoms during the past year and reported definite positive intentions to use them in the next year. Affiliative preferences were operationalized by asking participants to imagine that they were going to be in a small discussion group to talk about condom use. Respondents were then asked who they would like to have in the group with them in terms of nine characteristics: gender, ethnicity, age, grades, popularity, looks, amount of sexual experience, numbers of sexual partners, and past condom use. Answer choices for gender and ethnicity items were categorical. For the other seven characteristics, responses were on a five-point Likert-type scale. For example: &ldquo;In terms of condom use, would you rather have someone in the group who uses condoms when he/she has sexual intercourse (1) much more often than you, (2) somewhat more often than you, (3) same amount as you, (4) somewhat less often than you, or (5) much less often than you. Findings: With few exceptions, respondents preferred to affiliate with others who were similar demographically. Stage of change had a significant main effect on adolescents&rsquo; affiliative preferences related to condom use alone [F(2, 168)=8.75, p=.000]. Contemplators wanted to be with peers who used condoms more than they did (upward affiliations), while those in the preparation and maintenance stages wanted to affiliate with those who used condoms essentially the same amount as they did (lateral affiliations). Indeed, those maintaining condom use wanted lateral affiliations three times more than those contemplating use (OR=3.06; 95% CI 1.31-7.16). Stage of change had a significant interaction with behavioral self-esteem in predicting preferred affiliations related to condom use[F(8,161)=6.55, p=.000). Among those in the preparation stage, those with low self-esteem wanted to affiliate with peers who used condoms less than they did (downward affiliations), while those with moderate self-esteem preferred affiliations that were slightly upward. Those with low self-esteem were 34 times more likely than those with moderate self-esteem to prefer downward affiliations (OR=34.00; 95% CI 3.70-312.90). Conclusions: Adolescents&rsquo; preferences for affiliation with peers vary according to stage of change and are moderated by behavioral self-esteem. Social comparison theory provides a useful theoretical framework for examining preventive health behaviors. Implications: The results support interventions that group adolescents by stage of change and are targeted for that stage of change. Adolescents who are contemplating condom use should have affiliation with successful condom users. Those who are already successful users may benefit from contact with similar others. Adolescents who have low behavioral self-esteem and are initiating a behavioral change such as condom use are a high-risk group. They require specific, targeted, nursing interventions that simultaneously prevent minimization of their problem behavior, yet facilitate their emotional coping and self-change efforts.</td></tr></table>

en_GB

dc.date.available

2011-10-26T10:02:01Z

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dc.date.issued

2001-11-10

en_GB

dc.date.accessioned

2011-10-26T10:02:01Z

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dc.description.sponsorship

Sigma Theta Tau International

en_GB

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